NRL 2 years ago

Fijian sparks injury depleted Storm

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - MAY 01: Suliasi Vunivalu of the Storm scores a try during the round nine NRL match between the Gold Coast Titans and the Melbourne Storm on May 1, 2016 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

The sin-binning of Kenny Bromwich and a dramatically reshuffled backline could not stop Melbourne thrashing the Titans 38-0 in their NRL clash on the Gold Coast on Sunday.

Fijian flyer Suliasi Vunivalu and Cooper Cronk bagged two tries each at a wet Cbus Stadium, with the Storm (7-2 record) now having racked up an 80-0 points differential in two games in six days.

Melbourne lost plenty of try scoring firepower when Young Tonumaipea (knee), Marika Koroibete (ankle) and Richard Kennar (foot) succumbed to injuries sustained in their 42-0 ANZAC Day win over the Warriors.

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Vunivalu 6 tries in 3 games!I can see it now. Mal & Sarah Murdoch head to Fiji in search of Australia's next top winger. #NRLTitansStorm

Yet the Storm were still able to run in seven unanswered tries to relegate Gold Coast to their fifth straight loss.

It marked the first time the Titans had been held scoreless at home in their history.

It was just short of Melbourne's biggest win over the Gold Coast - a 50-6 blowout in 2007, the Titans' foundation year.

Bromwich was marched when he threw a punch in a second half melee that broke out after the Storm bench forward hit Titans playmaker Amos Roberts late.

A 12-man Melbourne still crossed with Bromwich on the sidelines when halfback Cronk crossed for his second try in the 59th minute after a Cameron Munster bust.

Worryingly it was the second time since round 20 last year that the Titans (3-6 record) had slumped to a fifth straight loss.

It was a rare blowout for the Titans who had lost their last four games by eight points or lost.

At one stage the Storm scored three tries in nine minutes to take a 20-0 halftime lead.

The Titans were buoyed by the return of halfback Ash Taylor (rib) and winger Nathan Davis (shoulder) from injury but were still unable to fire a shot against a methodical Storm which celebrated coach Craig Bellamy's 350th NRL game with the reins.